A Golden Egg, Two Boys and a Prefects Bath
by caughtinblackseyes
Summary: Harry takes his egg to the Prefects bath and finds Cedric already there. They talk about the Tournament, Cho and on whether or not Harry should practice his kissing on Ron or Hermione.
1. Chapter 1

When Harry first entered the Prefects Bath all he could do was stand around with widened green eyes, taking in the grandeur before him. He was stunned by how _huge_ the room was. Massive and quite elaborate in some ways although he was surprised to see that the walls were quite bare other than the one. On that wall was a portrait of a pretty mermaid who, thankfully, had her back turned to him and appeared to be either sunning herself on a rock or sleeping.

He supposed the other walls were empty due to the moisture permeating the air. Fragrant, spirals of steam were encompassing the entire area and Harry noticed that its origin was the swimming pool sized bathtub which took up the vast majority of the room. As he moved closer to the tub, Harry let out an awed, "Whoa."

Now that he could see a little better, he could tell that the walls, floor, and tub were made of white marble. Not that he was an expert on such things, but his aunt Petunia had a table with a marble top and this looked a lot like that. When Dudley had gone to set a glass down on its surface without the benefit of a coaster, he'd almost given his aunt a heart attack. Not that "Dinky Diddydums" was punished for his misdemeanor, oh no, it was he that had borne the woman's wrath. Of course, it was all his fault because his fat, bully of a cousin hadn't had a coaster on hand.

Stepping close to the edge of the sunken bath, Harry looked down. He wasn't going to have to go in the entire way which suited him just fine. There was a built in bench, also made of marble, and Harry estimated that when he sat in it he'd be about chest high in the water.

Harry wasn't one of those blokes who were comfortable in his own skin. Sure, he'd had to change in the locker room after a Quidditch match, but for the most part, he'd managed to wait out his team and change after the last person was gone. He wasn't ashamed of his skinny frame because, truth be told, he wasn't all that skinny anymore. He'd filled out considerably due to regular, hearty meals and Quidditch had built up the muscles in his arms, chest and back. So, his body wasn't the true source of any embarrassment, he'd just rather change in private.

Although he was pretty certain no one was going to make an unexpected entrance, Harry still made his way to the door and slid the bolt home. One couldn't be too sure of these things, and what if one of the Prefects decided to take a late night bath and discovered him? No doubt, he'd be in some serious trouble, and he couldn't afford anymore serious trouble.

It didn't take him long to undress, all he'd thrown on after he was sure his dorm mates were sound asleep was a T shirt he'd flung over his boxers. He grabbed one of the fluffy white towels from a corner of the room, and used the wall for balance while he stripped off his socks. Naked, Harry walked back to the side of the tub and gingerly lowered himself in careful to avoid all the faucets that lined the tub.

He'd miscalculated the depth of the water, it actually crawled up to nearly his neck and boy, did it feel good! It was hot but not too hot and the aroma, though slightly girly in, his opinion, was still rather nice. It was only after he'd entered the tub that Harry realized that he'd left his egg over by his discarded clothes.

"Shite," he muttered under his breath before realizing that he didn't have to be quiet because Hermione wasn't here to give him the stink eye about his language. "Shite," he exclaimed louder and then let out a childish giggle at his silliness.

"Having fun, Potter?"

Harry, startled out of his mind, made a frantic effort to get out of the tub. His arms and legs flailed wildly when his foot slipped on the rim of the bench and he ended up doing nothing other than swallowing tons of scented water. Coughing and sputtering, Harry rose to the surface, peering through the mist, his head moving this way and that as he searched for the origin of the greeting.

"Who's there," Harry asked, voice wavering.

A masculine chuckle was the only reply, and then Harry heard the distinct sound of someone swimming in his direction. Harry pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes, dimly seeing the silhouette of a figure whose features became more distinct the closer he got, and he wasn't really surprised to be staring into the fine features of Cedric Diggory. Bloke was a Prefect after all and had every right to be in this bath, Harry just didn't think he'd be here tonight.

Slicking his hair back, Diggory mentioned conversationally, "Didn't think you'd be coming here so soon."

Climbing back onto the bench, making every effort at maintaining modesty, Harry replied, "Well, Hermione said it was urgent that I get this egg thing straightened out."

"I see," Diggory answered back while sliding onto the bench beside the younger boy much more gracefully than he had. "She does seem like the sort to have your best interests at heart. She's helping you out, yeah?"

Glancing side-ways, Harry noted that the water lapped against the older boys' chest just under his nipples making him feel even smaller by comparison. "Um, yeah," He muttered, embarrassed.

Sensing what Harry was feeling, Diggory hurried to assure him. "It's perfectly fine for you to have help, Potter. The rest of us are two or more years ahead of you in knowledge of spell-work. I hear Granger is quite adept at all sorts of things beyond the level of most Fourth years. You shouldn't be ashamed of accepting her assistance."

Feeling a tad better, Harry nodded before saying, "It's decent of you to think so. Thanks."

There was a tension-filled pause before Diggory cleared his throat murmuring, "You seem to have left your egg over by the towels."

"Yep,"was Harry's non-committal rejoinder.

"You're going to need it," Diggory helpfully pointed out.

"Um, well… I kinda don't have a stitch of clothing on at the moment," Harry bit out in exasperation.

"Oh," Diggory breathed, the situation becoming clear to him. "I could close my eyes while you fetch it."

Harry was feeling like a real dope, but readily latched onto Diggory's suggestion. "That'd be great. Thanks."

"No problem," the older boy assured while closing his eyes to give the kid some privacy.

After checking that Diggory wasn't peeking, Harry got up and out and made his way over to his egg. It was heavy and slippery in his hands, but he still managed to quickly make it back to the bath, careful in his footing because the last thing he needed was to fall and look like more of an arse than he already did.

Once settled, Harry said, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Cedric did, just in time to catch Harry unlatch the egg, preparing to open it. He flung out his hand, splashing Harry in the face while yelping, "Don't open it now!"

Wiping droplets away with a shaky hand, Harry retorted angrily, "Not only did you get me in the face with water, but you scared the shite out of me, you git!"

Cedric blushed. "Apologies, Potter. I was trying to save us both from the inevitable head-ache. Have you tried opening it before?"

Now, Harry blushed before saying slowly, "Yeah. It was beyond horrible. My ears were ringing for days afterward. But, you said bring it to the bath so I figured it would be different here."

"I _said_ , to bring it to the bath, sit in the water and mull things over," Diggory corrected him.

Harry's brow scrunched up in concentration, glaring at the egg as if it had personally done something offensive to the younger boy. "Under the water then."

"Now you've got it," Diggory said, sporting a proud grin.

Taking a deep breath, Harry dove under the water and unlatched the egg. He resurfaced, took another breath and dove back down. He did this several more times before finally coming to the surface. Flinging a mass of dripping hair back over his scalp, he climbed back onto the bench. For a bit, he just sat there breathing heavily, then turning a very direct gaze on Diggory, rapped out, "The Black Lake. That's the Second Task and it has something to do with Merpeople."

"Yeah," Diggory verified quietly. "That was my take on it too. You got there faster than me though." Harry blushed at the praise. "But, it's more than that. Something important to us will be taken, a 'treasure' and we only have an hour to find it."

"Under water," Harry mumbled discontentedly. "We have an hour to find our 'treasure' _under_ water."

"That's about the size of it," Cedric agreed with a nod.

"Great. Just great."

Nudging him with his shoulder, Diggory cajoled with forced cheer, "Come on, Potter you've still got Granger. Cho says she's the most brilliant witch in Gryffindor. She'll sort this all out in no time."

"Cho said that," Harry ventured to ask, doing his best to sound casual.

Grinning, Diggory replied, sounding as casual as possible, "Yeah, she admires Granger tremendously. Thinks she should've been sorted to Ravenclaw."

"Probably," Harry conceded. "Thank Merlin she wasn't or I'd really be screwed. It was decent of Cho to say such nice things about Hermione. Most think she's a swotty know-it-all, so yeah that was really amazing of Cho."

"You fancy her." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I… I... j… just think she's amazing is all," Harry stuttered while watching Diggory warily from the corner of his eye.

"True enough," Cedric agreed amiably, while crossing his arms behind his head, closing his eyes and sinking lower into the water.

Harry took the opportunity to give his companion the once over unobserved. Cedric Diggory was definitely a good-looking bloke. Sun-bleached hair, now darkened by the bath, was pushed up and over the perfect line of his forehead. His eyebrows might have been a tad on the thick side, but they suited him; giving his almost too pretty features a touch of much needed masculinity.

Gaze moving downward, Harry noted the smooth peach-like complexion stretched over high, delicate-looking cheekbones. His jawline was well defined with a chin that carried a slightly inward dent in the middle while his mouth seemed perfectly proportioned, he noticed that his lower lip was a tad fuller than the upper.

The only thing marring such divine perfection was his slightly crooked nose which must have been broken at some point in his life. Cocking his head to the side, Harry thought that even though it wasn't a perfect nose, it had character and made the older boy seem more human and less of an Adonis-like figure.

The long line of his neck was slender and elegant but wouldn't be categorized as dainty; there was a controlled strength to the underlying muscles and strained tendons hidden there. Quidditch had broadened and nicely defined his chest, made more so by the expansion of his pecs at having his arms crossed behind his head. Harry was hoping that in a few more years his chest and biceps might look as nice. He wasn't scrawny anymore but he figured a few more years and he'd be fit like Diggory or more so.

"You should go for it," Diggory informed him.

 _What_ exactly was Diggory encouraging him to do?! Had Diggory seen him staring and jumped to conclusions?! Harry shifted uncomfortably, steering his eyes away from Diggory's form. I mean, yeah he was fanciful enough, but he liked _girls,_ and wasn't Diggory dating the out-of-his-reach Cho Chang?!

Eyes still shut, Diggory added, "She would have gone with you, you know if you'd gotten to her before me."

Harry let out a relieved sigh. Okay, he was talking about the beautiful Ravenclaw girl that Harry had been crushing on for ages. Wait! What?

"Really," Harry's voice cracked.

Lush lashes fluttered open, revealing amused smokey grey eyes. "Absolutely," the older boy declared with a chuckle.

"But, you're so..." Diggory quirked a brow. "So… so... _you_."

The kid was beyond flustered. It was kind of cute. Raising the other brow, Cedric inquired, "Meaning?"

Arms flailing, Harry exclaimed, "You know! Good-looking. Popular. A Prefect. Hogwarts rightful Champion. One of the best students in the school and all around perfect. Can't think why Cho would prefer me to you."

Biting his lip, Diggory stated firmly, "I am _not_ perfect, Potter. On top of that, you're not giving yourself enough credit." Harry almost went cross-eyed as the older boy continued earnestly, "You're a hardly difficult to look at and you have the most incredible jewel-like eyes. Seriously, it's like they're made out of emeralds or something. Your hair is a challenge for sure." Harry winced. "But you should embrace that challenge because no one else has a mop like yours which makes it different and different can be mighty appealing, let me tell you."

"You're lean but not skinny, and at some point you're going to fill out quite nicely. Your shy, which can be mistaken for awkward but anyone who has seen you fly, knows for damn sure that you're as graceful as they come. The only thing wrong with you, Potter is that you haven't been exposed to many girls other than Granger and that little red-haired Third year that keeps following you around. You just need a bit of exposure to other females so you can learn how to handle them, is all."

Harry was gaping, he knew he was but couldn't seem to help himself. No one, not even Hermione, had ever pointed out what they thought were his best attributes and to include his hair in that? Well, he'd never looked at it from that perspective, but then he remembered Sirius telling him that his dad had the same hair and carried it off proudly. Even had a tendency to mess it up more than it's already out-of-hand craziness. His dad had owned it, just like Diggory was suggesting.

Fingers snapping in his face brought his attention back. "You okay in there?"

"Yeah," Harry whispered. "You just gave me a lot to think on, is all."

Diggory commanded with authority, "Well, while you're busy thinking. Think on this, will ya. Ask Cho out. I'm certain she'd say yes."

Baffled, Harry exclaimed, "She's dating _you_. She's going to the Yule Ball with _you_. I thought you liked her. I thought you guys were an item, everyone's saying so. I mean, Parvati's sister said that she's seen you guys snogging in the Astronomy Tower and that Cho is always talking about _you_ and about how fabulous you are… in _many_ areas!"

Instead of looking guilty, Diggory began to laugh. Serious belly laughs that echoed off the walls of the bath, waking the mermaid in the picture from her slumber. Harrumphing, she glared at them before turning her back once more to pick up her brush and began using it on her long hair. Seeing Harry's disgruntled expression only sent Diggory off into another stream of uncontrollable laughter.

"It's not funny," Harry shouted. "You're using Cho and that's wrong!"

Gaining some semblance of control, Diggory laughingly disputed Harry's claims. "I'm really not." At Harry's disbelieving glare, Diggory sobered up and added, "Don't get your non-existent knickers in a twist, Potter. I like Cho, I really do, and yes we've had a few hot snogging sessions in the Tower and other places. She's a wonderful kisser and I enjoyed myself immensely." Harry glared harder, fists clenching beneath the rapidly cooling water. "If she's going around telling other people that we've gone further than that, then she's lying."

"Why would she lie," Harry demanded.

"That's what girls and blokes do sometimes. They exaggerate and embellish to make themselves either look better or just to be popular. Sometimes, they think it's expected of them which, I think, is the case with Cho. She's not a malicious person, so I'm guessing her House-mates have been badgering her for details on this particular Badger. Since we've only snogged and studied together, I'm thinking those stories got old fast and with nothing else to add, she felt the need to do some adding-on."

This side of Cho was an unpleasant surprise to Harry. He already had tongues wagging all over the place wherever he went, so the thought of Cho possibly adding to that made his stomach turn.

Reading the younger boy correctly, Cedric tried to reassure him. "Listen, don't be putting Cho up on a pedestal; she's not perfect, none of us are. She's sweet and smart and I don't think she'd ever do anything to hurt you. We all know you're the topic of some serious speculation." Harry snorted derisively. "Cho has never bought into any of it. She never believed you were the Heir of Slytherin and she firmly put me in my place when I originally thought you slipped your name into the Goblet. She's been on your side all along, Potter. Give credit where credit is due."

Nodding slowly, and looking rather sheepish, Harry hesitantly asked, "So, you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all," Cedric declared honestly. "Although you might want to keep it under wraps until after the Yule Ball, or we might all be in for some seriously nasty gossip-mongering and there's been more than enough of that lately. So yeah, keep it quiet."

Working up the courage, Harry asked, "What do I say? H… How do I go about doing this?"

"What's the problem," Cedric asked, looking confused. "You managed to ask her to the Ball, didn't you?"

Harry grimaced and said, "Yeah, but see, that didn't go so well. I mean, I had to repeat myself because I ran all my words together and it made no sense and it was just a mess all around. To say I handled it less than smoothly, would be down-playing it in a big way."

Rubbing a hand along his neck, Harry continued, sounding so pained that Cedric couldn't help but feel pity for the kid. "There's other stuff too. I... uh, I've not ever really, you know… k… kissed a girl, or anything like that. Like _nothing_. At. All. Ever."

Tentatively, Cedric asked, "You haven't uh, practiced at all?" Potter just gave him a strained, confused smile. "You know, on a friend. You've never practiced with a friend?"

"I didn't have friends before I came to Hogwarts," Harry threw out casually, as if that wasn't one of the saddest things ever.

"How about Granger, then?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Potter said, "I think that would be the case of the blind leading the blind."

Cedric stifled a grin. Clearly, Potter hadn't heard about Granger and Krum, and while there weren't any wild rumors running amok (yet), Cedric had seen them getting pretty cozy in the library on more than one occasion. Truth was, a reliable source had seen Granger leading the Bulgarian Seeker into one of the more infamous, least-used alcoves of Granger's favorite haven, for a bout of heated snogging.

"Then make do with your other friend." At Potter's confusion, Cedric pointed out, "You know Fred and George's little brother. You guys have been tight since your First year."

Potter's gem-like eyes got huge, then he screeched incredulously, " _Ron_! You want me to snog, Ron?!"

"Calm down. Just practice on him, that's all. No need to declare your undying love or anything."

Holding up a finger, Potter stated succinctly, "First off, Ron and I are on the outs." Putting up a second finger, he continued. "Second, Ron's a _bloke_!" Adding a third digit, Potter exclaimed, "And third… that's just _gross_! Uggg… no way would I practice on him!"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Cedric asked quietly, "So is the issue that he's a bloke or that he's Ron?"

Harry blinked. "I never gave much thought to snogging another bloke."

"Give it a think then,"Cedric encouraged, face serious.

"Right _now_?!"

"Yes, Potter, right _now_."

It was clear that Diggory wasn't going to let this go and was taking this whole thing quite seriously if the tight set of his shoulders and stern expression were anything to go on. Harry closed his eyes and thought about kissing various blokes of his acquaintance. Most made him queasy and uncomfortable, but there were a select few that didn't make Harry shudder in distaste. They didn't want to make him go straight out and snog them silly either, but they did make him strangely curious now that this whole kissing of blokes subject had been brought forward. Another few minutes passed as Harry thought further on the subject, then he opened his eyes and stared directly into Diggory's.

"What's the verdict," he asked quietly.

Smirking somewhat, Harry stated directly, "Well, I for certain do _not_ want to snog Ron, even if we weren't on the outs." Diggory smiled. "There were a few others (Seamus, especially) that I couldn't see myself locking lips with and not wanna bring up my lunch. Like I said, never gave it much thought but I guess there was one or two that had me curious and not in least grossed out."

Pleased, Cedric said, "Sounds like if you found the right bloke, you'd be okay practicing with them."

Shrugging, Harry answered back, "I suppose." Harry neglected to mention that one of those blokes was no longer at school here and the other would totally not go for it.

Grinning wickedly, Cedric quipped, "If it wouldn't offend your delicate sensibilities or your capacity to keep your supper in your mid-section, I'd like to offer myself up as a possible candidate. So, how about it, Potter? Wanna snog Hufflepuff's Hottie?"

Harry was stunned at the realization that the one other bloke he'd be willing to snog, just offered himself up on a silver platter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Many of you know that my sister had been battling pancreatic cancer for the last 4 years and sadly she passed away 3 months ago, the day before my birthday. Thank you for all your kind words and prayers! I'm doing the best I can as far as writing goes, but it's difficult when your heart isn't always in it anymore. I will update my other fics. Right now I just need to go where inspiration strikes.**

 **This chapter started out a certain way with a certain idea. Somewhere mid-way in it developed a life of its own and I just went where the Muse led me.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"Uh, Hermione," Harry ventured to interrupt his friend who was nose-deep in a huge tome while simultaneously nibbling on the end of a sugar quill.

"Hmmm...," was her response, still utterly absorbed in the contents of her book.

"Can we maybe take a break," he suggested, casting a glance at Ron's hunched over, sleeping form down at the end of the long table, grimacing when he noticed a pile of drool steadily growing larger by the second.

Mumbling around her sugar quill, Hermione said, "Not if we want to find a way for you to breath under water for an hour."

Spearing an agitated hand through his messy locks, Harry exclaimed, "We've been at this for hours and we've sifted through piles upon piles of books. I'm kinda hungry, we missed dinner. I _really_ need a break."

It was the desperation in Harry's voice which finally broke through Hermione's study stupor. Releasing her quill with a small pop, she asked with a frown, "Are you okay, Harry"

Fidgeting nervously with his tie, Harry found it difficult to meet his friends' eye. "I, uh… I got some things on my mind, is all."

Not one to be put off, Hermione pushed, "Yeah, I get that because I've been with you every step of the way. Still, you've been handling it all pretty well considering. Lately though, you seemed more out of sorts than usual, so what's _really_ been bothering you?"

Still avoiding eye contact, Harry mumbled nervously, "Well, you know I kind of fancy Cho, right?"

Rolling her brown eyes, Hermione said, "Of course, Harry. Only a complete dunderhead would have missed how much you fancy her."

Harry's eyes darted tellingly toward Ron's snoring form. Hermione caught it but wisely said nothing. Ron had been so busy being jealous of Harry, that he'd missed out on all the mooning Harry had been doing over Cho. Apparently, he hadn't got Ron up to speed yet even though they'd mended the rift in their friendship.

Hermione took it upon herself to approach her distraught friend, taking his clammy hand in her own. "Come on, Harry. What is it?"

Peeking at her from beneath his dark fringe, he tentatively answered, "Well, the thing is, I ran into Diggory when I took my egg to the Prefects Bath."

Harry paused for several seconds. Swallowing hard, he added, "He said I should have a go at Cho. That she would've gone with me to the Ball if I'd gotten to her first. Diggory said that she likes me."

Hermione's brows rose high on her forehead, surprise evident on her face. Noting her expression, Harry bit out defensively, "What? You think he's wrong? That someone as beautiful and smart as Cho couldn't ever fancy someone like me?"

Hermione clung to his hand as he struggled to pull it from her grasp. "No, Harry! No, that's not at all what I think!"

"Honestly," he asked, still not sure she was being truthful with him.

Taking his other hand, Hermione turned him fully toward her until he had no option but to look her straight in the eye. Firmly, and with sincere conviction, she spoke. " _Honestly._ Any girl you would fancy would be lucky to have you fancy them. You're brave and kind and you always put your friends and the people you love, above yourself. So you see, you have plenty to offer a girl."

Burning with pleased embarrassment, Harry gave her hands a hard squeeze before pulling away from her. "Thanks 'Mione. That means a lot coming from you."

"It's the truth, Harry. If you had more confidence you'd be able to see it too."

Turning away, Harry mumbled quietly, "I suppose living with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia has really done a number on me."

Hermione bit out angrily, "Those cretins would have done a number on anyone they consider different from themselves! They're not worthy of licking the scum from the bottom of your shoes, Harry! Bigoted, asinine ass-wipes is what they are!"

Astonished, but gratified by the venom in his friends' voice, Harry said with a fleeting wag of his finger, "Language Hermione Granger."

Harry looked so ridiculous doing an impression of herself, that Hermione couldn't help but let loose with a fit of giggles. Harry's chuckles joined in and before they knew it, the tension and bad memories were abandoned all together.

After gaining control of herself – barely – Hermione asked, "What are you going to do about Cho?"

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully. "Diggory seemed to think it would be worth the effort, but I can't understand why he'd encourage me. I mean, Cho's got it all, so why hand her over to me?"

"First of all, boys don't _hand_ girls over to anyone as if they were a piece of property or a valuable object! Are you hearing the nonsense coming out of your mouth?"

Harry had the grace to look contrite. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I don't have much practice with girls, you know."

"I know," Hermione agreed amiably. "Which is why I haven't bopped you in the nose for your doltish comment."

Harry looked equal parts terrified and admiring having remembered well the bop on the nose she's given to Malfoy last year.

"Respect, Harry. That's what all girls deserve from boys. No well-adjusted girl would choose to be thought weaker or less intelligent than her male counterpart. Especially Cho, I would think considering she's in Ravenclaw."

Biting his lip in concentration, Harry ventured to say, "I see your point. Cho is as brilliant as she is beautiful. The insides count as much as the outsides, right?"

"Exactly," Hermione agreed, sounding pleased.

Harry's beautiful eyes flickered once more to the unmoving lump at the end of the table before asking quietly, "Can we go somewhere more private?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, taking her own quick glance at Ron. The berk could sleep through almost anything, so for Harry to want to go someplace else must mean it's really important or really personal.

They made their way outside and off to the lake where they would be assured privacy from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. Rita Skeeter seemed to be everywhere with her acid qwik-quill and clearly Harry was taking no chances on this conversation being plastered all over the papers.

After they'd gotten to the far side of the lake and settled at the base of an enormous tree whose trunk managed to cover them both, Harry took a deep breath and then began.

"I do want to have a go with Cho. Problem is, I don't know how to go about it without making an idiot out of myself. I mean, I could barely get out the words when I asked her to the Ball. I sounded really stupid."

"You were nervous and that's perfectly natural," Hermione assured him with a sympathetic smile. "Maybe your invitation did sound like a bunch of mush, but you did manage to ask and that's saying something right there."

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry agreed reluctantly. "Even if she did say yes to going out with me, I wouldn't know what to do after that."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. Harry _was_ awkward around the opposite sex although they'd had an easy, affectionate friendship for a while now. Perhaps it came from knowing her from the very start or maybe rescuing her from that troll had solidified a bond. Hermione couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but he was comfortable around her. Of course, there was no attraction or sexual awareness between them to make things frightfully awkward either. They acted more like siblings than anything else.

"Well," Harry ventured to say, voice trembling. "Diggory did offer up a few suggestions on how I could maybe fix that."

"Diggory did." Hermione asked, astounded.

Nodding his head, Harry went on to say nervously, "Yeah, he suggested that I… you know, maybe practice on a friend or you know… something like that."

"Practice on a friend," Hermione repeated sounding bemused. "What exactly…. Oh!" Realization struck like lightening. "I… uh, I don't know Harry. That's… I don't even… I'm not…."

"I told him it would be the blind leading the blind," Harry burst out, face redder than a tomato.

Hermione punched him on the arm, hard.

"Hey," he complained while rubbing the sore spot.

"I'll have you know, Harry Potter that I have plenty experience when it comes to snogging! Loads, in fact!" Hermione's eyes were spitting fire and Harry slid a little further away, afraid she might punch him again only harder. He was more focused on getting hit than on what she was actually saying until…. "If a certain Bulgarian Seeker is to be believed, I'm an excellent kisser!"

"What?" Harry screeched, eyes huge. "You've been snogging Viktor Krum?! _The_ Viktor Krum?"

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth as if by placing them there she could silence the words that were already out in the open.

"Harry," Hermione breathed, desperation written all over her face, "You can't tell anyone."

Throwing his hands up into the air, Harry exclaimed, "You haven't told me anything to tell yet! Besides, who am I gonna tell?!"

Still looking fearful, Hermione whispered, "Ron, that's who and I don't want him to know. Actually, I don't want anyone to know, but if someone has to know, I'm glad it's you."

For a few seconds Harry just stared at her as if she were a stranger. Then he said, "I wouldn't tell Ron. He'd just be a jack-arse to you if he knew and having been on the receiving end of it, I wouldn't set you up to be treated the same way."

Hermione let out a long, relieved breath. "Thank you."

"Why didn't you tell me," Harry asked, hurt swimming in the green depths of his eyes.

Biting her lip, Hermione took a moment before answering. "Several reasons I guess. We've been so busy trying to get you through this blasted tournament and I wasn't sure if you would be angry if you knew and I couldn't risk that, Harry. I mean, what if you had known and been mad and then told me to get lost? Where would you be then? You need my help, Harry and I was afraid you wouldn't take it if you knew about Viktor and me. Then, there's the fact that he's well-known and I didn't want to have to deal with the fangirls of this school sending me death threats, howlers or worse!"

"I get why you didn't want the general population to know or Ron for that matter," Harry allowed. "But don't use this tournament as an excuse for not telling me, Hermione. I might have been surprised at first, but if being with Krum was making you happy, I'd have been all for it."

Hermione's face crumpled, "I'm sorry. I should have told you. I should have known you'd understand."

"It's fine," Harry said, patting her hand consolingly. "Just, from here on in, trust me. Okay?"

Sniffling, Hermione nodded, then turned her hand over to link fingers with Harry. "So, Diggory suggested practicing with a friend, did he?"

"You don't have to 'Mione," Harry informed her magnanimously while clearly wanting to give it a try.

"Well, it's not as if I'm cheating on Viktor. It's just one friend helping out another friend. Right?"

"I suppose," Harry agreed with a shrug. "I don't want to force you into anything though."

"You're not," she assured him. "But, here's the thing, Harry. Because we're such good friends, it'll probably be strange and all, so don't expect anything tremendously wonderful to happen. Kissing me will probably be totally different than kissing someone that you actually _do_ want to kiss."

"Maybe we shouldn't try it then," Harry suggested morosely.

"Nonsense," Hermione answered briskly, her tone her usual no-nonsense. "If nothing else, you'll learn a bit of technique."

"If you're sure."

"Turn toward me," she instructed. "Now, the trick is to not try too much the first time out. It's not a load of fun choking on someone else' tongue." Harry pulled a face. "There's no need to look like that! When it's done right, it's absolutely brilliant. Besides, French kissing takes a certain amount of skill and while I've gotten it down pretty well, it's rather intimate and while I love you, Harry, I'm not interested in being that intimate with you."

"I'm nervous," Harry told her with some surprise.

"Me too," she admitted with a grin. "Now, I'm going to lean forward and press my lips against yours. I'm not going to do anything fancy. We're just getting acquainted. Testing out the shape and texture of each other, that's all. Ready?"

Harry gave a short nod, terrified he was going to make a real hash of things. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, that when her lips made contact with his, he was barely aware of it. That is, until she began to stroke her mouth against his in small movements that generated a pleasant sensation deep in his gut. Far too soon, she pulled back with a smile.

"That wasn't as weird as I thought it was going to be," Hermione quipped, amusement dancing in her brown eyes.

"No it wasn't," Harry agreed with a grin of his own.

"Now, what I want you to do is exactly what I just did, only you're going to kiss me this time."

Harry leaned forward, eager to put into practice what he'd learned. So eager in fact, that he managed to mash his nose into Hermione's before she had a chance to move her head to the opposite side of his.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Harry exclaimed, face burning. "I knew I'd make a mess of it! I don't think I'm cut out for this kissing business. I should just…."

"Harry. Harry!" Grabbing his face in her hands, she silenced him with a stern look. "Listen, the first few times Viktor and I kissed, I wasn't sure where my head was supposed to go either. Merlin bless him, he was so patient with me and more often than I care to remember, I'd accidentally ram into his nose and once I even gave him a head butt."

Harry began to laugh. The image of Hermione doing damage to Krum's already damaged nose was just too darn funny. The image of a head butt was funny too but not nearly as his battered nose getting even more battered.

"Take your time. Ease into it, Harry. It's not like Quidditch where you have to rush as fast as you can to find the snitch before anyone else gets to it. Now try again."

This time Harry paid attention to what Hermione was doing. How she was moving. The expression on her face. When he leaned in, he waited to see which side she was going to tilt her head and he moved to the opposite. He brushed his lips against hers. They were soft and pliant; giving way to him when he pressed more firmly. He mimicked her previous motions and tried to keep in mind that there was no hurry, to take it slow. Again, it was over far too soon.

"That was great, Harry." He flushed under her praise.

"Really," he asked, still unsure if he'd done it right even though it felt like he had.

"You're a fast learner," Hermione went on, pride in his accomplishment stamped on her features. "This time when you kiss me, I'm going to move my mouth too. So, we're kind of going to touch lips, move against each other, pull back slightly and then go back to moving our mouths together. Got it?"

"I think so," Harry answered, biting his lip as he concentrated on what she'd just said.

"It's easy. Don't panic," Hermione made it a command. A command which he followed.

In seconds their lips were joined once more. Hermione let him take the lead. His mouth slipped across hers gently but firmly and it felt very nice. It felt even better when she began to reciprocate his actions. Lips sliding against each other until Hermione pulled back slightly before molding her mouth to his until his own parted slightly. Harry let out a soft sigh when Hermione took his lower lip between both of hers, tugging on it slightly before slotting her mouth back over his.

Feeling more confident, he sucked her upper lip between his and nibbled lightly. Hermione let out a soft gasp which he swallowed up when he caught her lips up with his own once again. She tasted like the sugar quill she'd had earlier. Sweet and slightly sticky but oh so wonderful. If he'd known snogging was going to be this fantastic, he would have done it ages ago.

Their mouths became more frantic, hungrier. He wanted to be closer, so much closer to her. He yanked her up from her where she was sitting while managing to keep their lips fused together. He gathered her close, his mouth urgent and needy. Her arms wound tightly around his neck, her slim form pressed tightly against his and surprisingly he wasn't the least bit embarrassed that she could probably tell that his body was into this all the way.

One hand settled between her shoulder blades, keeping her against him and the other buried itself in her hair, tugging until her head tilted back at the perfect angle. Hermione must have thought so too because she moaned and writhed in his arms until he was sure he was going to burst. The need for air drove them apart, both gasping and shaking from the force that still held them in thrall.

"Oh my God," Hermione exclaimed, horror-stricken and what they'd done. Covering her face with her hands, she let out a small cry.

"What's wrong," Harry asked hoarsely, gripping her forearms. "Tell me Hermione. Don't cry!"

"Harry," she cried brokenly, "Friends don't kiss each other like that! What we did...That… that was so wrong! I'm dating Viktor and you fancy Cho! This, this whole thing got completely out of hand!"

Harry nervously licked his lips. He could still taste her there, a sweet reminder of how brilliant kissing her had been. Hermione's panicked reaction was confusing, and because of it, he wasn't sure what the right thing to say or do might be.

Harry said in a low, soothing voice. "Please tell me why you're upset."

"I just did! We were supposed to have an innocent, inconsequential lesson and it turned into a full-fledged, hot as dragons' breath, snogging session! That is not what this was supposed to be!"

Hurt, Harry asked woodenly, "Do you regret it?"

"No! Yes… oh, I don't know." The last word came out as an anguished wail. Pulling herself together, Hermione pinned him with a narrowed glare and demanded, "Am I really the first person you've ever snogged?"

Thunderstruck, Harry spat out, "Of course you are! I wouldn't lie to you! Especially about something like that!"

Hermione seemed to fold in on herself as if exhausted. "Merlin help whomever you choose to snog after you've had some serious practice."

"So I was good, huh," Harry asked, grinning widely.

Hermione couldn't help the answering grin. A grin that transformed her haunted face back into the girl that Harry was more familiar with. It unburdened his heart because the last thing he would ever want to do is to lose Hermione. It would be the end of him.

"Don't start acting like a cocky git just because you're turning out to be a natural when it comes to the art of snogging," Hermione insisted with a fake glare.

Puffing out his chest in an absurd manner, he stated with an air of pompous pride, "I'm king of the kissers. I'm the sultan of snogging. I'm..."

"Completely full of shite," Hermione finished for him, laughing uncontrollably at Harry's genuinely shocked expression. Flinging an arm casually around his neck, she pulled him into a loose sideways hug.

"We're okay, right," Harry asked, smiling into Hermione's shining, laughter-lit brown eyes.

"Yeah," she agreed readily and with none of the anxiety she had exhibited earlier. "Just, no more lessons from me. You'll have to practice on someone else."

"Ron," Harry jokingly suggested, smirking at the flash of distaste on Hermione's face. "Diggory did say it didn't matter if I practiced with a girl or a bloke."

"Honestly, I'm thinking you don't really need more lessons."

"I still have to learn all about this french-kissing business," Harry replied. "After all, I can't go about accidentally strangling my partner with my untutored tongue, now can I?"

Ruffling his messy hair affectionately, Hermione murmured, "I suppose not. I do suggest you pick your next tutor carefully and maybe not use so much enthusiasm in obtaining your education. You wouldn't want to give your future teacher the wrong idea or have them misconstrue your intentions, now would you?"

Looking intently into Hermione's worried eyes, Harry said with quiet conviction, "I never meant to freak you out. I'm truly sorry that I frightened you. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"You didn't frighten me, Harry," she answered honestly. "It was my reaction to you that frightened me." Tapping his chest, she added, "You've got some serious unexpressed love brewing in here and someday the right person is going to set it free."

"But not you," Harry whispered somberly.

"No," she whispered back sadly. "I love you, Harry and once upon a time I might have thought you and me could have made a go of it. Goodness knows I'd been crushing on you since First Year." Shrugging, she went on breezily, "You and me weren't meant to be which you'll see when you finally do meet your one and only. It's then that you'll understand that the fleeting passion we just shared here is nothing in comparison."

"Is Krum _your_ one and only?"

Smiling shyly, Hermione answered, "He sure feels like it, but I tend toward the practical. First loves rarely go the distance, so I'm guessing my true one and only is still out there somewhere. Regardless, I'm more than happy with what Viktor and I share now."

"Thanks 'Mione," Harry said solemnly, "For everything. For sticking by me know matter what other people thought. For your endless help whether it be homework, snogging or saving my arse. But, most importantly, for being my one and only true friend."

Knocking her shoulder against his, Hermione answered just as solemnly, "Always, Harry. Always." She startled him a moment later by jumping to her feet while briskly commanding, "Well let's get on with it. We've had enough of this dilly-dallying around. Back to work, Harry. Times a wasting and we still have to figure out a way for you to breath under water for an hour."

They strolled back to the school in companionable silence. Hermione was thinking of which books or scrolls they have yet to look through and Harry was thinking that while he should be focusing on the next task, he was instead wondering if it would be just as wonderful kissing Cedric Diggory as it had been kissing 'Mione.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry wouldn't exactly say that he'd been stalking Diggory. Not _exactly_. It's just that kissing Hermione had been a revelation and he'd really enjoyed it. He thought he'd be disappointed when she told him that they couldn't 'practice' anymore, but he wasn't but then again, he kinda was? It was all sorts of confusing, so he tried not to dwell on it too much. Instead, he spent a mess of time pondering Diggory's offer. While he'd not really entertained the notion of kissing another bloke, not _exactly_ , he could admit that in the case of Cedric Diggory he might be willing to give it a go. The only other boy Harry might have contemplated locking lips with would have been Oliver Wood, but he'd graduated several years back.

Trouble was, he and Diggory weren't ever really in the same place at the same time. When they did happen to be in close proximity, the older boy was surrounded by hordes of admirers. Most of which were really hating Harry's guts right now. A few times, while he was engulfed in a slew of giggling girls, Harry had tried to catch his eye, but the other boy either hadn't cottoned on to Harry's attempts or worse, he was actively avoiding him. It was possible, he supposed. After all, what would an exceedingly good-looking and popular Cedric Diggory see in him? The guy was more than likely regretting his offer and simply wasn't sure of how to go about withdrawing it.

That thought upset Harry a great deal. Still, he had more serious fish to fry, like figuring out how to breathe under water for at least an hour. Hermione was on the caper, but Neville had approached him with the possibility of using gillyweed, and Harry was giving it some serious thinking on. It wasn't that he didn't think Hermione couldn't master the bubble-head charm, she was brilliant and could master anything. He, on the other hand, might have issues with learning it correctly. He was talented at a lot of stuff but Charms wasn't really up there on his list of achievements; especially if that charm was way above his grade-level.

He was jolted out of his reverie when he spied the perfect object of his thoughts making his way down the corridor where Harry was hidden in a deep alcove. Better yet, Diggory was _alone_. This was his chance. As the older boy made to pass him, Harry reached out and grabbed the back of robes, yanking him backward. Diggory let out an oomph as he fell into Harry, making him very conscious of the hard muscles stretching across the other boys upper torso seeing as how they were now firmly pressed against his forehead. He smelled great too, like inked parchment, fresh cold air and something that Harry couldn't identify.

Pulling himself free, Diggory spun around brandishing his wand, shoulders set in a line of tension. _Broad_ shoulders. On seeing who it was, Diggory lowered his weapon while letting out an exasperated sigh. "What in the bloody blue blazes are you doing, Potter?" He demanded with a fierce frown.

Harry gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea because Diggory looked far from pleased to see him and Harry was honest enough to admit that, yeah… that stung a bit. "S...sorry," he stuttered lamely. "I've been trying to catch you alone for awhile now, and this is the first chance I've had cause, y'know basically other people are always hovering around you."

Diggory's frown cleared leaving behind a small, strained smile. Pocketing his wand, he said, "It's starting to get right annoying. I'm getting to the point of regretting putting my name in the Goblet." Glancing quickly down the hall, his burnished-brown head swiveling first one way and then the other. Seemingly satisfied he took Harry by the arm, maneuvering them both further into the recessed area.

"Must be difficult," Harry muttered because what else was he supposed to say? As the recipient of speculative attention himself, he knew it was annoying. Course, Diggory's attention was of much more agreeable nature than his own.

As if reading his thoughts on the matter, Diggory said quietly, "Look, Potter I have talked to my dorm-mates again about not wearing those pins. It's just they see it as supporting me as Hogwarts 'rightful champion'."

Nodding, Harry murmured, eyes skittering nervously about, "I understand." Which he did.

"My face is up here," Diggory mentioned with a chuckle. "It might get tiresome after a bit, talking to my chin."

Harry's eyes fluttered up, meeting the laughing grey of the other boys'. He really was a great looking bloke. Wood had been fit and that Scottish burr of his had added to the attraction and to top it all off he was aces at Quidditch. But comparing him with this stunning specimen… Well, there was no comparison at all. Not saying that Diggory wasn't way more than just a good-looking fella, because he was.

According to Hermione, he was brilliant; top of his class. The older boy was kind too, very kind. Harry'd had ample opportunity to see this first-hand what with him furtively following the other boy about. He'd witnessed countless incidents where Diggory had assisted younger students with their studies and no matter what their House affiliation, he'd taken care of any of the First Years who were having difficulty being away from their families for the first time and experiencing serious bouts of homesickness.

Add to the fact, that he was a fantastic flyer, not to mention one of the best Seeker's at Hogwarts and then of course, there was the way in which he handled the general legion of students who had attached themselves to his hip. When it all got to be too much, Diggory would with charming aplomb request time alone in order to re-group or just relax. So yeah, Diggory had numerous fine attributes in which to admire and, Harry did, right along with almost the entire school.

He hadn't realized he'd been gazing at the object of his crush with a fixation bordering on uncomfortable until Diggory cleared his throat and asked, "How can I help you, Potter? I don't think either of us wants to be late to our next class and considering mine is Potions and Snape's a twat, he'd be only too happy to take House points from me."

"Uh, yeah… sorry about that," Harry colored guiltily. "I uh, I took your advice."

Diggory's brows fell into a slight frown of confusion. "You're going to have to give me a little more to work with than that, Potter."

"You know," Harry leaned in closer and added in a hushed whisper, "About practicing on a friend."

Diggory's face cleared, lighting up with a smug grin. Crossing his arms over his chest, and leaning forward he asked in an eager whisper, "How did it go?"

"Great!" Harry gushed, beaming with pride. "Hermione said that I'm a natural!"

Chuckling, Diggory asked unnecessarily, "Practice on Granger, did you?" Harry nodded, dark bangs flopping over his green as emerald eyes. "Did you like it?"

Stepping closer, Harry exclaimed with great enthusiasm, "It was absolutely brilliant!"

Deep laughter followed Harry's statement. "That's great, Potter. Snogging can be a real treat especially if your partner and you have the basics down. Makes it less awkward. Are you feeling a bit more confident now?"

Frowning, Harry mused aloud, "Well, I feel pretty good although me and Mione didn't do that French kissing business because she said it was too intimate for her to do with me. But, wow… even without that, it was amazing!"

Cocking his head to the side, Diggory remarked thoughtfully, "I'm actually surprised that you even approached Granger given that she and Krum are an item."

Harry's eyes widened dramatically. "You know about that?" Before Diggory could answer, Harry went on sounding desperate, "You cannot tell anyone! Seriously! She doesn't want to go public yet and if word gets out, her first thought will be that I spilled the beans!"

Waving away Harry's concerns, Diggory said, "Calm down, Potter. I don't have any plans in proclaiming to all and sundry that Krum and Granger are a thing. First of all, it's really none of my business although it would take a real dolt not to have noticed the signs."

"Hey," Harry exclaimed, " _I_ didn't notice and I don't consider myself a dolt."

Cedric took in his offended expression and said reasonably, "You've been kind of busy lately, what with the tournament and all and I truthfully think you're far too close to the situation to even recognize that Granger's a pretty girl and not just one of the guys."

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry muttered. "I figured that out whilst we were snogging though. I mean, everything about her felt good and soft, and not at all like I expected."

"Now, don't go getting a thing for Granger," Diggory playfully admonished. "I'm pretty sure Krum would have something to say on that score. He was right jealous of all the attention and affection she was showering on you during the First Task and all the time leading up to it."

Harry took a moment to digest this before stating seriously, "Hermione did say that a few years back she thought we might have made a go of it, but now she's really happy with Krum. Do you reckon you just naturally have more than friendly feelings toward the person who ends up being your first kiss?

Taking in Potter's mystification, Cedric took a second before answering. "I think it's different for everyone. There are times when your first kiss is with someone you genuinely care about, there are times when it just sorta happens, there then there are times – like with Granger – that you just wanna test the waters."

Still confused, Harry stated emphatically, "But, I do care about Hermione. She's… she's… Mione! She means everything to me and without her, I'd be toast!"

"I get that, Potter but what I'm saying is that you haven't put her in any sort of category other than that. Have you ever sat down and actually thought about what she means to you? I mean, being best mates does include affection and caring, you know? You strike me as the type of person who could mistake his first really good kiss as something much more than it was really meant to be."

Absently scratching the back of his head, Harry remarked somewhat glumly, "Hermione basically said the same thing. I... I don't know if you know this or not, but I live with my aunt and uncle who are Muggles. They hate anything related to magic and resent having to take care of me and I'm using 'take care of me' loosely here."

"I had heard that you were being raised by Muggle relatives, but not that they hated magic."

"Point is," Harry hurriedly interrupted not wanting to dwell too much on his home-life but still wanting Diggory to understand. "I was treated – and to a certain extent still am treated – like an unwanted burden. A...a... a freak not worthy of affection or attention. Hermione was actually the first person to ever hug me... Ever."

Moved, Cedric said quietly, "I'm sorry, Potter. That must be downright rough. I cannot begin to wrap my head around such a horrid situation. It does explain why you are equating that kiss..."

Harry cut him off by saying,"Actually, it was some serious snogging."

Cedric blinked several times before saying, "Ookay... heated snogging then. Regardless, it explains a lot about why you might feel confused or conflicted by what happened between you and Granger."

"That, that makes a weird sort of sense," Harry stated quietly. "Yeah, I mean Mione and Mrs. Weasley are basically the only two people who show me physical affection except for Siri... oooo... uh, yeah... those two are about it."

Cedric ignored the slip and said, "There you have it then. Maybe think on those feelings and what they actually _mean_ to you. If you're dead set on thinking of Granger in a romantic fashion you might wanna discuss those feelings with her because letting them fester is not a good thing."

"I don't know that I _do_ think of her like that. It was just the kissing was so good that I might have got a bit muddled, you know?" Diggory nodded. "She said that the person I'm meant to be with is still out there and I think she's right on that, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy practicing till then, right?"

Slapping the other boy on the shoulder, Diggory replied with a wink, "Right on one. If a few of the witches here are game to give it a go, then you should oblige them."

Biting his lip in consternation, Harry remarked, "Don't know about that. I'm still in the same boat as before with no one I'm really willing to try it with or who might even be willing to practice with me." Deciding to take the plunge, Harry mumbled incoherently, "Dontsupposeyoureofferisstillopen?"

"Uh, wanna try that again there, Potter because I didn't quite catch it the first time."

Harry could feel his face and neck flaming, shuffling from side-to-side, eyes glued to the tips of his shoes, he gave it another go. "I was um wondering if maybe... uh, if you wouldn't mind... you know letting me take you up on your previous offer," his voice trailed off and all he wanted was to be anywhere but here, that's how utterly embarrassed he felt.

A hand gripped his chin, raising it until Harry was looking into the deep depths of Diggory's smoky grey eyes. "You want to practice kissing with me," he asked softly.

Held spellbound by the expression in those glorious eyes, Harry mutely nodded his head trying desperately to swallow the large lump lodged in his throat. He shivered as Diggory's hand slid over one burning red cheek, thumb catching on the lobe of Harry's ear before settling warmly at the nape of his neck.

Harry hadn't realized a body had the ability to thrum as wildly as his was or that a heart could frantically hammer to the point of physical pain. It hadn't been like this with Hermione! I mean the kissing had pretty much done it for him, but Diggory was barely _touching_ him. That was it... only touching, and yet Harry was feeling it in every fiber of his being!

"Potter," Diggory began with a solemn expression that Harry didn't like at all. "When I made that offer it was in jest..."

Harry cringed, panic setting in as he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping by doing so it could make him disappear. His hearing narrowed down to a frenzied pounding in his ears as he was being utterly consumed by heinous, mortified terror; his mind frantically searched for a way out of this mess with at least a small shred of dignity intact. What to do?! What to do?! Any second now he was going to start wheezing and get himself worked straight into a monumental panic attack! What to do?! What to do?! He tried to remember what Hermione has taught him on how to deal with these episodes, but came up blank.

While Harry was busy falling apart at the seams, Diggory was trying to figure out how to salvage the situation. Clearly, Potter was on the verge of some sort of collapse and all because he had on a lark, thrown out that stupid offer of kissing! At no point had Cedric seriously thought the kid would take him up on it! He was really starting to worry because Potter was shaking so hard that he could actually hear teeth clanking together. This was terrible! Cedric felt terrible!

"Oh bugger it," Cedric swore violently before pulling the other boy closer, tipping his down-bent heard back before taking a moment to really think on the consequences, then throwing those reservations in the bin he began kissing Harry-bloody-Potter.


End file.
